Chances
by Rika Yayoi
Summary: Fate has it that Kise Ryouta and Aomine Daiki can't be together. Kise finds himself stuck in an arranged marriage, bound to a princess who shows no mercy if things don't go her way. He and Aomine have sinned and sinned to be together, but his wife has gone to great lengths to get them apart. Will they finally find the happiness they've been searching for?
1. Nara: I

**Hey guys! Sorry I suddenly deleted this story...I wanted to fix it up a bit and repost it. So anyways, here it is!**

 **For new readers, I'd like to give a brief description of the setting. So this story is set in the Nara period of Japan, which is around the years AD 700-800. There is a reason I'm starting this far back, and you will all find out later. ;) Anyway, I'd like to mention that I did _some_ research on this era but my use of technology here or the culture or anything might not be the most accurate, so please forgive me for that.**

 **Enjoy!**

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"Aominecchi! Are we going?"

Kise slid the door open, stepping into the man's room to see what was taking him so long. _He_ had been the one to schedule this outing and he sure hoped he wouldn't be the one cancelling it. The blond had been looking forward to this day for a week, since they hadn't seen each other in a long time—Aomine had been taken along to a meeting a couple of towns over, though it was mainly due to the fact that the man was just so damn busy as the heir to his clan. Kise didn't complain about this, not out loud anyway, since he knew how stressful it must be. But without him, he was at a loss of what to do. There were plenty of girls that wanted his company, of course, but this guy was different.

The blond mentally sighed when he saw his best friend sitting at his desk, working away at papers he knew he wouldn't understand. He strode towards him, but before he could reach his destination he bumped into something. Some _one_ actually.

Kise jumped back in surprise when he was met with icy blue eyes. They glared at him, peeking through bangs of the same colour. He had an intimidating air to him, enough to make the blond back away in caution. But when Kise got a good look at the male's figure, he put a hand to his mouth, trying to hold back his bubbling laughter.

"Aominecchi! Who's this?" He ran up to the man, or boy, he wasn't quite sure, and put an arm around him. "He's so cute!"

Aomine turned around from his seat, his face paling the minute he saw the position his friend was in.

"Kise, careful, you shouldn't call him cu—

In a matter of seconds, the 'cute', or so Kise had thought, boy had the blond's arm pinned against his back, pressing him against the wall. Though he couldn't see the boy in the position he was in, he felt his glare boring holes through his skin. Fear crawled up Kise's spine and his arm was suddenly raised even more, shooting pain through his body.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he yelped, wincing.

"Kuroko, let him go."

There was a moment of silence before Kuroko sighed and complied ever so hesitantly, releasing his grip on Kise's arm. The blond rolled his shoulders with a soft curse, wincing a bit at the strange angle the limb had been held in.

"Aomine-sama has work to do and can't accompany you at the moment." The boy's expression stayed blank whilst speaking, and he gestured to the door, politely asking him to leave. "I advise you come another time."

Kise had sort of expected this, but hearing it out of someone's mouth still surprised him and he couldn't help but let out an "Ehhh?". He had been denying it his whole way here. He looked to Aomine with a dejected gaze, but knew his friend was busy and he tried to be understanding.

"Well, I guess you have a lot of work to do, being the heir and all. It's been the same with my brother…"

The dark blue haired man stood up, closing the distance between them in a couple of strides and leaning in so their faces were only inches apart. Blue eyes scanned all his features before locking their gazes, and the blond's eyes widened. He felt his cheeks heat at the close proximity. What was he doing?

Aomine suddenly flicked his forehead.

"Of course I'm going, you idiot." He grinned. "Don't get upset over nothing."

Kise suddenly recovered from his state of shock, quickly backing away and hiding his flushed face. The room suddenly felt really hot.

What had he been expecting? Why was he getting so flustered? He silently scolded himself.

"Ah...really?" he managed to say whilst looking at the ground, not quite ready to make eye contact. A smile still crept its way upon his lips.

"But Aomine-sama—

"They've been piling an unnecessary amount of work on me," he cut off. "I can afford a break. Also, how many times have I told you to stop using 'sama' after my name?"

Kuroko's lips were pressed together in a thin line, probably thinking of how to word his next few sentences politely. After a deep breath, he finally spoke.

"As the heir, your father has requested me to—

"And _as the heir_ , I would like a break to hang out with my friend." Aomine gave an exasperated sigh. "Look, I know you're new here and you don't want to disobey my father's orders, but you're supposed to be serving _me_. And I need a break."

Kise almost felt bad for the guy. Though Aomine didn't word his words as harshly as he could, Kuroko looked rather nervous and troubled.

"I-If you're really that busy then you don't need to come…" the blond suddenly said. "It's not that important anyway...we can always do it another time."

"What are you saying? Of course it's important! We haven't seen each other in ages!" The dark haired man grinned, slinging an arm around his shoulder. "Kuroko—no, Tetsu, we'll be going! I'll be back in a bit!"

Kise heard Kuroko mumble a soft "It's Tetsuya, Aomine-kun," before being led outside by the said man. He was honestly ecstatic that they got the chance to hang out like this, but couldn't help but feel bad for taking up his time.

"Are you sure you can just leave that kid like that? What if your father gets angry?" he asked.

Aomine chuckled, his chest rumbling and making Kise realize that his arm was still around his shoulder. He gulped, trying to calm the blush on his cheeks.

"He may look like a kid, but you shouldn't call him one. Tetsu's the same age as us," he said in amusement.

Kise stopped and looked up at his friend, his eyes wide and mouth hanging open. Had he heard him wrong?

"What? The same age?!" he exclaimed, furrowing his brows in confusion. "I thought he was fourteen!"

Aomine doubled over in laughter, resting a hand on the blond's shoulder to steady himself.

"Make sure Tetsu doesn't hear that," he said while trying to calm down, unable to wipe the grin off his face. "I don't know what he'd do to you."

Kise immediately nodded, reminded that he had experienced perhaps only a tiny bit of this 'Tetsu's' wrath already and did not want to anger him any further. The guy may be small, but he wasn't someone to be messed with.

"So, how was the meeting your father took you to?" the blond suddenly asked.

"Boring," he said simply, sighing. "All this work is really stressing me out. Why the hell do I have to be in this position anyways?"

Honestly, Kise wondered that sometimes too, especially when the man had to cancel their plans because he was too busy. Why couldn't Aomine have an older brother? Why did he have to be the son of the head? Those questions came up whenever he sat alone, at a loss for what to do. Before being stuffed to the back of his mind to be forgotten of course. He knew he shouldn't be thinking such things, that he should be supporting his best friend and scolding him whenever he slacked off. But maybe Kise was just selfish.

The blond ridded his mind of those worries and laughed, playfully hitting Aomine's arm.

"All you do is complain," he teased. "The work may be hard now but I'm sure everything will be fine once all this training's over. You'll be a great leader," Kise assured with a smile.

The blue haired man sighed again, mumbling something about how he'd be angry if he wasn't after all this work he'd done. He then reached back and took an arrow out of his quiver, turning to his friend with a smile.

"I haven't done this with you in a while. Have you improved since last time?"

Kise nodded and took out an arrow as well, grinning.

"I'm not losing today."

* * *

Kise cried out in frustration when his arrow hit the edge of the target, hanging his head in defeat.

What was wrong with him today? He had been doing so well during his practices, the arrows so close to the center. Was he nervous? Was that the reason?

Aomine chuckled and walked over, gesturing for the blond to put up his bow again. He walked around behind him and placed his hands on his shoulders, pressing them down.

"You're too stiff and your posture isn't right," he explained, continuing to modify his stance. "Lower your center of gravity and make sure to distribute your weight evenly over your feet."

He placed his hands on his hips and pressed down lightly, all the while making Kise's cheeks heat. He told himself this was probably due to his embarrassment of needing to be taught this again after so many years of practicing.

He gulped, biting his lip as Aomine tilted his chin up with his finger, reminding him to make sure it was level with the ground. This close proximity with him was really making the man uncomfortable these days, and what bothered him more was that he didn't know why. Maybe it was getting more and more awkward between them since they didn't see each other as much anymore?

"Try shooting again."

Aomine's words directed Kise's attention away from his thoughts and his body suddenly stiffened, which earned a sigh from his best friend, who reminded him to relax.

Taking a deep breath, the blond calmly drew his bow and focused on the target. He wanted to prove that he could do this, that all that practice had actually paid off. He reminded himself once more not to think about anything else but the target and aimed his shot before letting the arrow go.

It hit the center.

Kise's lips stretched into a wide grin and he turned to his best friend.

"Look! I did it!" he exclaimed, pointing at the target some distance away. "I actually did it!"

Aomine smiled and ruffled his hair, praising him for the accomplishment. This sent the blond's spirits flying high and he couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

"Keep that up and maybe you'll beat me someday," the blue haired man said with a smirk.

Kise was about to promise him that he'd practice hard so he would, but something off to the side caught his eye.

A rabbit.

It was nibbling on the grass, lost in its own world and paying no attention to the two men at all.

And Kise didn't know why but he reacted on instinct, taking another arrow out and slowly drawing his bow. He had never shot an animal before, but he had seen many do it and wanted to try it out. The animal wasn't very close, but not too far either. He figured he could handle it.

"Kise, I don't think this is a good idea…" Aomine said quietly once he realized what the blond was doing.

He only shushed the man and raised his bow, aiming for the unmoving animal. He tried to remember what he had told him earlier. Lower his center of gravity, distribute the weight evenly…

In the midst of his concentration, Kise thought he heard a rustle somewhere near them. Afraid the animal would run away at the noise, he let go of the arrow and watched it shoot towards the rabbit.

Everything after that seemed to happen so fast yet so slow at the same time. A girl had stepped out in front of the rabbit, oblivious to the arrow shooting her way. But Kise had already let go and could only call out and pray that it missed her.

She seemed to be bending down to pick something up before she stumbled and fell down with a yelp. Frightened, the rabbit scurried off into the underbrush, though that was the least of their worries right now.

The two men rushed to the injured girl.

"I'm so sorry!" Kise cried as he dropped to his knees beside her, checking to see how serious the injury was. The girl was grabbing her ankle, her face twisted in pain, which made him panic even more. What had he done? How could he have not noticed her?

"Is she okay?" Aomine asked in concern, coming up beside his friend.

"I don't know!"

"I told you it wasn't a good idea." He sighed in disbelief.

Kise didn't bother to explain his actions to the man right now, as he was worried about the injured girl on the ground much more. Thank god it only looked like she got grazed, but it was nevertheless a wound.

"I'll take you to get this treated right away, okay?" he said gently, taking her arm and trying to help her up. "Can you walk?"

"Let go of me!" she cried, refusing to stand and shaking his hand off. "How dare you…" the girl's powerful voice trailed off as she raised her head, seeing Kise's face filled with concern.

The blond continued persist in helping her despite her protests. He had caused this and he needed to take responsibility, he told himself.

"You're hurt." Kise hesitantly took her arm again. "We need to get the wound cleaned and bandaged."

She complied quite easily this time and got up with his help. However, she winced once putting pressure on her feet and he quickly caught her when she stumbled, almost falling.

"Did you twist your ankle too?" he asked in concern, noticing a slight flush on the girl's cheeks when he looked down at her in his arms. A troubled look crossed his face and after a while of thinking, he spoke. "Here, I'll carry you. You can't walk like this."

Aomine stepped forward then, taking off his quiver and handing it to Kise.

"I'll carry her," he offered. "Just hold this."

"Release her immediately!" a voice suddenly shouted from behind them and they turned to see two men running towards him, armed with swords. "Step back!"

"Midorima!" the girl exclaimed in surprise.

"Are you alright, Shouko-sama?" The green haired man stepped closer to her, eyeing the two strangers. His gaze soon travelled to the blood dripping down her leg and glared at them in rage. "Unbelieveable! Takao, go call for the others! We need to bring these men to Akashi-sama!"

The other man nodded and immediately ran back, following the instructions given to him.

"A-Akashi-sama?" Kise stammered in shock, turning to look at Aomine with wide eyes. He stared back with the same expression. "H-He can't be talking about…"

Aomine didn't answer, but Kise already knew.

Akashi, that was the name of the imperial family. And the one the man was referring to was most definitely the emperor. If such a big deal was being made about a graze on the girl's leg, it could only mean one thing. She was royalty.

Kise wondered why he hadn't noticed her clothing before, which was a colourful silk kimono of many layers. That screamed royalty right there. But then again, he told himself, even if he had realized it earlier, it'd still be too late. He had let go of that arrow before she walked into his line of sight.

"It's alright, Midorima. I just came to pick up my bracelet..." the girl tried to say, but he had already shoved the two stunned men aside and picked her up.

They hardly had enough time to process what was happening when they were abruptly seized and taken to the chariot. The blond tried to look back at the girl again for an explanation, and their gazes locked. She looked somewhat apologetic, and then looked up at the green haired man with an annoyed expression.

"What are you doing?" Kise yelled in both panic and confusion, struggling in the men's iron grips. He knew where they were going, but he didn't want to believe it. This couldn't be happening. "Let us go!"

They were soon forced into the chariot, sitting across from each other and each between two of their abductors. The small space they were in was incredibly cramped, but that was the least of their worries right now. They didn't know what punishment awaited them at the palace, where they were most likely being taken, and they knew they wouldn't be able to get out of it.

When the vehicle shook and began to move, the blond looked up at his best friend in panic, his palms sweating like crazy. What had he gotten them into? This was all his fault.

He bit his lip and looked down at his lap, regretting all his actions up to this point. Not only he was in trouble now, but he had dragged Aomine along with him. That was probably the worst thing about it. If he had just convinced him to stay home and listen to both his servant and his father, then none of this would've happened. Or at least he wouldn't be mixed into this, something he didn't deserve to go through. What was the punishment for injuring royalty? Death?

Aomine saw the troubled look on his friend's face and felt anger rush through him. He knew that Kise had been reckless, but he didn't deserve a punishment for it. The girl had gotten grazed with an arrow and twisted her ankle for god's sake. She hadn't been stabbed. Why was this such a big deal?

Ah, of course he knew why it was such a big deal, but it wasn't fair at all.

He turned to glare at the man on his right, who was staring blankly into space.

"Let us go!" he yelled in anger. "It was an accident! We'll just get her wound treated!" He tried to break free from their grip, but his efforts were futile. Not only were they professionally trained, they outnumbered him, and managed to hold him back. "Let us go!" he repeated in frustration.

The men were expressionless as they held him still, perhaps sick of their job but having no choice but to put up with it.

"I'm really sorry…" the blond said quietly. He wasn't even sure his friend had heard him.

"Don't be. She was the one who came out of nowhere," he said. His voice was gentle, a contrast to how he had spoken to their abductors. "We'll be fine."

Kise shook his head.

"No, we won't. And I _am_ sorry, for getting you mixed up in this. If there's anyone who should be getting a punishment, it's me," he said. "I hope Akashi-sama's considerate enough to let you go."

He heard a snort come from one of the men, which lowered his hopes significantly, but he tried to ignore them.

"Look, it's not your fault," Aomine said again, looking straight into his eyes. "It'll be okay. We'll find a way."

* * *

 **What's going to happen? Will Akashi forgive them? :O**

 **Haha I hope you guys liked it and I'd love it if you reviewed/favourited/followed! Thanks so much!**

 **(Pssst update dates are on my profile!)**


	2. Nara: II

**Here's chapter 2! :) Enjoy~**

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As the two of them were being brought to the emperor by a group of guards, Kise heard servants and concubines whispering and gossiping around them.

"Hey, that blond guy's really cute, isn't he?"

"I heard that he and his friend there injured Shouko-sama."

"They're done for. Everyone knows she's his favourite daughter."

"How stupid are they to make a mistake like that?"

"It's really a shame...that guy's so handsome!"

The blond tried to ignore them, but their words made his hopes sink. He had messed up. Very badly. And they were right—he was so stupid to make such a mistake. He had just wanted to make Aomine proud, to prove that he had really worked hard on practicing. But of everyone he could've hit, the princess, the emperor's _favourite_ princess, just had to step in the way.

Kise felt like he was shaking now, and he bit down on his lip hard. He had heard rumors of Akashi being absolutely terrifying and ruthless, which frightened him even more. What if his punishment wasn't simply death? What if he decided on something more gruesome, more painful? And if Aomine was to be dragged along in that too, Kise didn't know if he could handle it.

Large, ornate doors were opened to reveal a luxurious room, decorated with the most expensive furniture there was. A path ran from the doors all the way to the large throne, which was where the red haired emperor was seated. His pure rage could be sensed from all the way across the room and Kise really wasn't sure if he wanted to get any closer.

However, they were led by the guards to stand before the emperor, giving Kise no choice. With every step closer, he wanted to cower away. He couldn't believe that someone could have an aura so powerful, so terrifying.

They were suddenly forced down onto their knees and one guard stepped forward to report what had happened, though Akashi obviously knew of the information already.

With his head lowered, Kise turned his head ever so slightly to the side to look at Aomine, a nervous expression on his face. He had been looking at him as well and they made eye contact, clearly concerned for their lives due to the atmosphere in the room. The blue haired man seemed to be at a loss of what to do as well, and traces of panic could be seen on his features, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

Once the guard finished speaking, the emperor directed his gaze at the two of them, pure fury in his eyes.

"Which one of them did it?" he hissed, stepping closer to them. Kise could see the man's shoes on the ground before him, and he took a shaky breath. He had to admit to it, lying wouldn't do any good at this point.

"I-I'm very sorry your highness—

"It was me."

Kise's head snapped to the side to stare at his friend with wide eyes, who was staring up at the emperor what seemed to be fearlessly. To not cower under the emperor's piercing gaze like that was crazy. How did he do it?

But that wasn't the most important matter here. Had those words really left his lips? No no no, this wasn't right. Why was Aomine lying for him? This was all his own fault, he didn't want his friend to get mixed into this.

"N-No!" Kise tried to say, but Akashi had already stepped in front of the navy haired man, staring him down with a disgusted look, like he was a pest that needed to be crushed right away.

"You injure my beloved daughter, and you still dare look me in the eye with such an expression?" he seethed. "Guards! Take him—

"No!" Kise shouted, shocking everyone in the room into silence. He had just realized it himself, and regretted his actions immensely. He had just cut the _emperor_ off. He gulped, telling himself to continue with his words. "I did it! It was all me! He had nothing to do with this!"

The blond opened the eyes he hadn't even realized he had squeezed shut and hesitantly looked up, meeting Akashi's gaze. Some of that anger had strangely disappeared and traces of amusement could be found in his expression.

"S-So don't hurt—

"Father!"

Kise turned his head to where the voice that had cut him off was coming from, everyone did. It was Shouko, limping towards her father as she held on to anything that could support her. Her servants quickly rushed up to help her make her way to her father, and Kise and Aomine exchanged confused and panicked looks.

"Shouko! You should be resting! I'm trying to settle the unforgivable matter that had been done to you!"

"No! Father! I came here to explain to you what really happened!" she explained. "It was all a misunderstanding!"

Kise's eyes widened when he heard her words. Was Shouko _helping_ them? But why? Accident or not, she had gotten hurt because of him. He looked at Aomine and he seemed to be thinking the same thing.

This confusion, however, didn't stop the relief washing over him. Maybe she could help them get out of this. She _was_ the emperor's favourite after all.

"What are you saying?" Akashi asked, looking towards the two men on their knees before him. "You're telling me that these two didn't hurt you?"

Shouko nodded.

"Midorima had reacted too hastily," she explained. "This man here," she pointed to Kise, "came to help me when I cut my leg on a branch and fell."

Akashi didn't seem too convinced but listened on anyway, not questioning her words.

"They were going to take me to a doctor when Midorima came," Shouko continued. "I don't think they should be punished for trying to help me, father."

Aomine and Kise didn't speak, only prayed that the emperor would let them off. Shouko hadn't told the complete truth, but at least half of it was there. Maybe it could half their guilt too.

There was a while of silence on Akashi's end and Kise held his breath, keeping his head down and shutting his eyes.

"Very well, if you say so Shouko."

Both men gave a sigh of relief, and they smiled at each other before turning to the emperor and his daughter.

"Thank you your highness!" Kise exclaimed, bowing and keeping his head down to show his gratitude. Without raising his head, he continued. "Thank you so much!"

"Thank you very much," Aomine echoed, bowing down as well.

"Ah, and there is something else I must bring up while these two are here, father," Shouko suddenly said, and the two finally raised their heads to look at the princess in confusion.

"Go on."

"I've asked Midorima to find some information on these two here and he just got back. One of them is Aomine Daiki, the heir of the Aomine clan. This blond man right here is Kise Ryouta, second eldest of the Kise clan leader," she explained, though none of the two men knew where she was going with this. Not even the emperor, at that.

There was a pause before the princess beamed at Akashi.

"Well, I feel that Kise here really fit my preferences for a possible companion, and I think we'll get along fairly well judging from how well our first meeting went."

This...had not been what Kise was expecting. Not what anyone was probably expecting. Was she asking her father to arrange a marriage for them?

 _We had barely exchanged any words in our first meeting!_

The blond knew all her reasons were complete lies. There had been many girls that fell for his looks and wanted to get closer to him because of it, but he didn't think someone would go to this extent.

"And I think it'll be benefiting for both his clan and our family if there's an intermarriage, don't you think so?"

Kise wanted to yell no, but he didn't dare with the emperor standing right there. Shouko was his favourite daughter, and she had gotten them out of punishment for injuring her. This was how she was expected to be paid back.

The blond turned to his best friend with eyes filled with panic, and he was met with an expression of uncertainty and disbelief.

"That's...quite a good idea, Shouko. I shall think about it," Akashi said in the end, and sat back down on his throne. "You are all dismissed. Take these two men back home. We'll bring them back if needed."

Much like they were brought in, though a tad gentler since they had been forgiven, the two were led to the doors by the many guards that had taken them here. They remained silent the whole time, even during the ride back, and stayed lost in their own thoughts.

Kise couldn't wrap his mind around why this was happening. Marriage? With a girl he had just met? His parents surely wouldn't agree to this, even _if_ she was from the imperial family.

The minute the two of them were let off at a clearing near Kise's house and the chariot that had brought them here was a good distance from them, Aomine began to speak. Perhaps he had been holding all this in on the way back.

"What the actual _hell_ was that?" he spat. "Who does that girl think she is? She lies to her father about what happened to help us, and then forces you into a marriage with her?" He ran his fingers through his hair, sighing in frustration.

"She's the princess, Aominecchi…" Kise said quietly, not wanting to meet his best friend's gaze.

He had thought about a lot on the ride back as well and he knew that he _couldn't_ tell his parents what happened that afternoon. They hadn't been too fond of Aomine in the first place, and if they knew that Kise had injured a _princess_ with his arrow while hanging out with him, he knew they'd blame his friend. Their reasons may not make sense at all but they would blame him and not let them see each other anymore, which was a punishment Kise didn't want.

So what could he say? That he had met Shouko in the forest today and they had just clicked immediately? Or maybe they had been meeting in secret for a while and he just hadn't been ready to tell them? That seemed more believable.

"You're not actually going to go along with it, are you?" Aomine asked after a long silence. When he looked at Kise this time, in his gaze wasn't anger or rage. It was simply sadness and hurt, emotions that caused a tightness in the blond's chest.

"I...I don't know…" he could only say, looking away. "What other choice do I have?" His voice cracked and he felt tears start to form in his eyes.

Kise quickly wiped them with the back of his hands, blinking away the others soon to come. He hoped Aomine hadn't noticed, but the said man suddenly stopped walking, grabbing his shoulders and turning him to face him.

The blond kept his head down, his gaze on the ground. He didn't want to do this either, but like he said before, what choice did he have? Shouko was the emperor's favourite daughter, and once the decision was made, his orders would be absolute.

"What am I supposed to do?" he mumbled, resting his hands on Aomine's chest and fisting his shirt in his hands.

He heard a sigh come from the man and he was suddenly pulled closer into an awkward hug, with Aomine's arm wrapped around his waist.

"It's okay, maybe he won't agree to it," he said gently. "I doubt her father's going to let her marry a man she just met. And then everything can go back to normal for us, okay?"

Kise nodded and rested his head against his friend's chest, trying to calm himself down. Maybe he was right. Maybe Akashi wouldn't agree to it.

He sighed, closing his eyes.

"Why do I have to have this face?"

He recalled Shouko's sudden change of attitude towards him that afternoon, and he finally understood why. The minute she had seen his face, her tone did a complete one-eighty. All her kindness after that was due to his looks.

"You're right," Aomine said, cupping his cheeks and tilting his head up so he could look at him. "Why do you have to have such a pretty face?"

Kise opened his eyes to find himself staring right into his deep blue orbs, filled with an emotion he suddenly couldn't identify. The blond couldn't move, he could only stay pressed against the man, hands resting on his chest, and gaze locked with his.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but it seemed like they had stayed in that position for hours. Something in the blond had expected Aomine to lean in closer, and he didn't know if he felt disappointment or relief when he didn't.

Soon, the blue haired man finally moved, pulling away and stepping back.

He cleared his throat.

"You should probably get home, it's really late," he said, scratching the back of his head.

Kise nodded, noticing how awkward the atmosphere had suddenly gotten. He turned in the direction his house was and turned around, waving at Aomine before he left.

"I'll see you later then! Tomorrow, maybe?" he asked hopefully.

The blue haired man nodded and waved back.

"Yeah, I'll come over tomorrow."

* * *

 **So this chapter's a bit short and I haven't gotten to a lot of AoKise yet, but there'll be some in the next chapter so look forward to it! :D**

 **I'd love it if you reviewed! Thanks!**


	3. Nara: III

**Hey guys! I'm back with an update! So this one's a pretty long chapter, and I've included some AoKise I _know_ you all have been waiting for~ ;)**

* * *

"Why didn't you tell us sooner, Ryouta?" his mother beamed.

Kise's whole family was gathered around him, excitement, joy, and proudness visible in all their faces. But he felt horrible, so, so horrible. They didn't know the truth at all, and before he could've said anything to them, Midorima had come knocking on their door this morning to inform his family that the wedding was arranged and the ceremony would be in three days.

But the blond could only smile at them, trying to calm them down.

"I just wanted to wait until we were sure everything was working out well," he explained. "I honestly didn't think all this would happen so quickly either." He forced a laugh, trying to subtly avoid their gazes. "I'm sorry for informing you guys last minute. If you'd like, we could push everything back a bit…"

"Oh no, you don't need to do that," his father immediately said, shaking his head.

"Father's right Ryouta. We'll support your decision no matter what," Kasamatsu added, slinging an arm around his brother's shoulder and grinning at him. "I can't believe we'll be living in the imperial palace in three days!"

"I can't either…" Kise muttered, but he didn't hear him.

"You know, I knew all the girls here were crazy about you, but I didn't expect the princesses to be too!" He laughed, slapping his back. "I'm really proud of you Ryouta, and I'm glad you finally found the one. Seriously, you were single and so uninterested in the women around you for so long, I was almost convinced you were gay at one point!"

Kise hit his brother playfully and forced a smile at him, as well as his parents.

"Yeah, I'm glad I found the one," he lied, trying not to show the guilt and frustration he was feeling right then. "And even before you, nii-san."

His whole family laughed at that, while Kasamatsu assured he'd find a girlfriend soon.

"So how did you two meet?" his mother suddenly asked.

"Oh, uh...I was taking a walk in the forest with Aomine when we found her. She was hurt so I brought her to a doctor." That wasn't a lie, except that last part. She _had_ been taken to a doctor, just not by him.

"Aomine again?" his father asked. "You spend too much time with him. I've told you he's a bad influence."

"Dad, we've went over this...I can hang out with whoever I want. And Aomine's not a bad influence at all! He's my best friend!" Kise huffed in annoyance. He had almost risked his life to get the blond out of trouble. He still hadn't thanked him for that, or scolded him for that matter. Kise didn't know what he would've done if Shouko hadn't come, but he probably would've hated the man forever. He already blamed himself for dragging him into all this.

"I'm...I'm gonna head to my room to pack some things," he said quietly before turning his back to his family and heading to the said place without looking back. He really didn't want to be around them right then; the guilt was too much.

Kise shut the door the minute he got inside and fell back on his bed.

Maybe this wouldn't be that bad, he told himself. Just as Shouko had said, this was beneficial to both their families. And he could live in the imperial palace, where he could get essentially anything he wanted. He could live a luxurious life with both power and wealth, and it wasn't like Shouko was hideous. She was incredibly attractive, actually. He couldn't deny that.

So why did he feel so empty? All those things seemed so pointless right then. It wasn't like Kise had ever actually wanted any of those things. In the rare cases of when he thought about marriage, he just imagined a simple life with the one he loved. He didn't ask for much, just that his partner loved him back. That would make him a happy man.

The blond sighed, rolling over onto his side and curling up. Maybe some sleep could get his mind off things.

His eyes had just fluttered shut when he heard a knock on his door.

"Ryouta?" It was his brother.

"Come in nii-san," he called, still in the same position as before. He didn't even bother to open his eyes.

Kise heard the door creak open, and then the soft footsteps of his brother as he made his way to the bed. He really wasn't in the mood to talk, but his brother would find his attitude strange if he didn't. With a mental sigh, he sat up.

"Sorry, I was just about to take a nap." He tried to avoid his gaze, looking down at his lap instead.

Kasamatsu sat down beside his brother, the mattress sinking at his weight. There was a silence, a quite serious one, and Kise had no idea what was going on. He was about to ask when his brother finally spoke.

"Is there something you're not telling me, Ryouta?"

The blond raised his head at that, furrowing his brows. How did he know?

"What makes you think that?" he could only ask, laughing a little in disbelief. "What's wrong?"

His brother sighed, scratching his neck and looking down at his lap for a while, as if thinking of how to say his next words. He had been so happy and proud earlier. What made him suddenly doubt everything?

"Well, after you left, I thought about what you told us, and something just seemed...off," he explained, turning to look into his eyes. "Your attitude just didn't seem right. If there's anything troubling you, you know you can tell me."

Kise fell silent at his words, lowering his gaze. How did he get found out so quickly? He didn't think his brother would be this observant of him, though it actually made him quite relieved. He could trust him. This was the 'nii-san' he had looked up to ever since he was a child. He could surely help him solve this problem.

With a deep breath, he turned to his brother.

"I…" he began, still slightly hesitant on telling him. Once this was out, there was no taking it back. "I didn't agree to this marriage," he ended up saying with a sigh.

Kasamatsu, his eyes wide, leaned in closer, as if afraid he had heard him wrong.

"What?"

"This marriage wasn't my choice. Shouko, the princess, and her father decided this on their own." He made sure to speak slowly, one so he didn't have to repeat it for his brother again, and two so he could think and still have a chance to back out if he wanted to. But all of it came tumbling out, he didn't think he could stop it anymore. He finally had someone else to talk to about this.

"B-But why?" his brother could only sputter.

"I don't know…" Kise said quietly, looking away.

"W-Was everything you told us a lie then? About how you had been seeing her for so long, that you used Aomine as an excuse to go meet her? Everything?" Disappointment could be seen in his eyes, but there was worry and concern there too, something the blond hadn't been expecting.

He could only nod.

"But then...how did you meet her? Why does she want to marry you?"

He knew there would be more questions coming, and that he'd have to answer all of them. Maybe he could just tell his brother everything. He wouldn't get mad, he knew that, but he didn't want to trouble him. There was already enough stress on him being the heir of their clan.

"I didn't lie about that part," he could only say. "Aomine and I _had_ been in the forest, and she _had_ been hurt. It's just…"

Kasamatsu sighed and rested his hand on his, squeezing it in reassurance.

"Come on Ryouta, you can trust me," he said gently. "I won't tell anyone, not even our parents if you don't want me to."

Kise stared at Kasamatsu for a while in silence, feeling tears begin to form in his eyes. He tried to blink them away, and as he did so, everything came spilling out.

"I shot her, nii-san! I was being stupid and hit her with my arrow when Aomine and I were practicing!" he cried. "I-It was an accident and it only grazed her, but her guards took us away to the palace…" The blond wiped at his eyes, not wanting to bawl in front of his brother. "The emperor was furious, and Aomine was going to take my place in the punishment, and Shouko came, and…" His words were hardly making sense anymore, but he just needed to get everything out. It seemed to take some weight off his chest.

"She fell for your looks, didn't she?" his brother asked quietly, and he nodded, sniffing.

"Sometimes, I just really hate this face of mine," Kise said. "Why couldn't I be born with a different one? I thought the girls here were troublesome, and then this happens…"

Kasamatsu snorted at that.

"Do you even hear what you're saying?" he asked in disbelief, trying to lighten up the atmosphere. "So many guys would kill to have your looks, and you don't want them?"

Kise sucked in a breath, wiping away the rest of his tears before chuckling softly at his brother's words.

"Just think of it this way," Kasamatsu began. "Your looks not only got you out of trouble, but essentially saved Aomine's life, right? Shouldn't you be thankful for them then?"

Kise thought about that. His brother was right. If it weren't for this face, he or Aomine, or maybe even both, would probably be dead by now. But they were alive, all because Shouko had fallen for him. If he thought about it that way, this marriage was nothing compared to what had almost happened back at the palace.

"I guess you're right…"

Kasamatsu slung an arm around his shoulder, trying to comfort him.

"Look. You're not dating anyone now, are you? Nor do you like someone?" he asked, and Kise nodded. "Yeah, so maybe this girl's the one. You just don't know yet. I'll try to think of a way to get you out of this, but just think positive. Maybe the princess is the girl you've been waiting for all along. You just need to get to know her better," he said gently with a warm smile.

The blond nodded again, letting his words sink in. His brother was right. Maybe once they got to know each other, he'd grow to like her.

He took a deep breath and tried to smile. He already felt a lot better than he did before, and knew that telling his brother had been the right choice after all.

"You're still a crybaby after all these years, huh?" Kasamatsu teased with a chuckle, ruffling his mass of golden locks and standing up. "Go wash your face and then take your nap. I won't bother you any longer."

Kise sniffed and wiped at his face again as he watched his brother make his way to the door.

"Wait," he suddenly called.

"I won't tell mother and father, if that's what you're going to ask."

The blond shook his head.

"I wanted to say thank you. I feel a lot better now, thanks to you." He gave a genuine smile. Never had he been so glad to have Kasamatsu as a brother, and he wondered why he hadn't felt this before. Of course he had grown up seeing him as his role model, but it was this moment that really stood out for him and showed him what an amazing person he was.

"No problem," he said. "I'm your brother after all. Of course I'd help you when you need it."

Kasamatsu smiled and left the room, leaving Kise feeling much less burdened and stressed than before.

The blond made himself comfortable on his bed before relaxing and giving a sigh. A nap honestly sounded perfect right then and he closed his eyes, trying to forget about everything. His dreams could be a temporary escape from reality, something he really needed.

His last thought before his consciousness gave away was recalling that Aomine had promised to come visit him today.

* * *

Kise was glad he hadn't gotten his hopes up when his brother said he'd try to find a way to fix the problem he was in. There was no way around it, he knew that right from the beginning. The emperor's orders were absolute and the marriage was definitely happening.

It was in a day, actually, and people from the palace were to be here any minute to help him move his things. They figured everything would run smoother if he moved out first, his family following a couple days after the wedding. Kise didn't argue. Well, he _couldn't_ argue, and simply allowed them to do what they wanted. He had to move there at some point, and the time didn't seem to matter as much anymore.

For the whole morning, Kise was holed up in his room, as he had been for the majority of the past couple days. They hadn't been any better than before, but they weren't worse either. Acting happy and excited in front of his parents, however, just didn't work for him. He couldn't do it. Thank god his brother was there to help him lie his way through any suspicions they were having.

The blond sighed as he looked around his room, most of his things still in place as "there were much better things in the palace for him to use". Would he ever be able to come back here? Would he ever be able to spend his days like before, talking to his brother, or going out shooting with Aomine?

Would he even be able to _see_ Aomine once he left?

Speaking of the man, he hasn't visited at all the past couple days, which was a huge disappointment to Kise. Of course he had his brother to talk to now, but his best friend was different. He didn't quite know how to describe this 'different', but it just was.

He wondered what the blue haired man was doing right then. Maybe some more training? More work from his father? Scolding Tetsu for being too polite?

Just what was so important that was occupying his time? He had _promised_ to come over.

Kise groaned in frustration as he leaned back against the door, trying not to let his negative thoughts take over. Kasamatsu had told him to stay positive, and it had succeeded in making him feel better.

 _Positive. Think positive._

 _Who knows. Maybe once we start talking, I won't be able to stop. Maybe I'll actually fall in love for the first time. I might just be a couple steps away from seeing the love of my li—_

The blond suddenly found himself falling backwards, and he stumbled to catch himself before he fell. It was only when a strong hand gripped his arm to keep him steady that he realized the door behind him had been opened.

He spun around to see who had come looking for him at this hour, and almost did a double take when he saw who it was.

"Aominecchi?" he exclaimed, eyes widening. "Oi! Where have you been all this time? You said that you'd—

"So you're getting married?" the man asked, and the blond suddenly noticed the pain in the man's eyes. "You're leaving today?" His voice sounded...weak. Like he was forcing his words out.

"Yeah...I am…" he said quietly, then smiled. "But you know, it might not be as bad as we thought. I've been thinking and...maybe she's the one, you know? I haven't been interested in any girls but maybe she'll be different. Don't you think that's—

"Kise," he interrupted, the power in his voice startling the blond a bit. "Do you _want_ to go?"

He sighed, looking at his friend apologetically.

"Aomine," he said quietly. "You know I don't have a choice. I _have_ to go…"

There was a long silence between the two, their gazes locked and they themselves unmoving. Kise took this time to clearly examine his best friend's expression. He saw pain, sadness, and a million other emotions in there that made his heart wrench.

Wasn't Aomine supposed to be comforting him? Wasn't he supposed to be trying to help him get through this?

But the blond wasn't angry at this, not at all. He would've been upset, even, if his best friend had let him go without any regrets, any sadness.

"What if I don't _want_ you to go?" he finally said, his voice cracking. "Kise."

His eyes widened, too shocked at his words to find a response right away. Instead, he continued to stare up into his deep blue orbs. He noticed his heart thumping loudly in his chest, speeding up with each second that passed. He felt strange.

"A-Aominecchi…?" His name came out a soft whisper.

Everything after that happened so fast. The blond felt Aomine's arm slide around his waist and his other hand grip the back of his head, his hold firm as he pulled him forward. Kise never broke their gaze during this; it was like he was being sucked in by his alluring eyes.

And then, the blond didn't know how it happened, they were suddenly kissing. He felt the man's warm lips pressing against his, his face as close as ever. It was unlike anything Kise had ever felt. There was a strange tingling on his lips and he felt his heart pounding against his chest, beating crazily fast. His cheeks were flushed by now and eyes fluttered shut.

Kise melted into the kiss, leaning onto Aomine and resting his hands on his firm chest. He didn't know how to describe it, but it felt so...right. It was all that he expected a kiss to be like. He could feel the electricity between them, the burning of his skin wherever the man's hands brushed over.

And it was right then that he realized there was no way Shouko could be the one. The one he had been waiting for all along, for so many years, turned out to be the man closest to him. It was the man kissing him right now. Why hadn't he realized his before?

He allowed himself to get lost in this trance for a couple more seconds, slowly beginning to move his lips against his, when he was suddenly struck with reality. This couldn't happen. He couldn't do this.

Kise didn't even know if he could see Aomine again. Doing something like this before he left, it would just make him more attached to the man. He didn't want that. He didn't want to think about him every day while living with his wife at the palace. That just couldn't happen.

Tears sprung into his eyes as those thoughts crossed his mind. Life was so unfair. Why did this have to happen right now? Why not earlier, when everything was normal? Why did this have to start right when they needed to end it?

Before he knew it, tears were streaming down his cheeks and he had pulled away from him, wiping at his tears.

"Stop!" he cried, turning his back to him. "Go...leave…"

"Kise, I…"

"Go away!" he screamed. "I don't want to see you right now!"

Kise tried to wipe his tears away, but they just kept coming. He hated crying like this; it made him feel weak, but he just couldn't control it.

What was Aomine thinking anyway, just kissing him like that right before he was going to leave? Was it some sort of parting gift? Did he not think that Kise would miss him, would like him back and not want to leave?

He hadn't even noticed the man leave until he managed to control the sobs wracking his body, feeling a sudden emptiness in his room. And after that came regret. Maybe it was for the best, but he didn't want him to leave. He didn't want to idle in his room alone, waiting to be taken away, like he had the other days.

Kise ran a hand through his hair, soon fisting it in frustration. Taking a couple deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself, he brought his fingers to his lips, recalling the kiss, and his thoughts flickered to the wedding happening tomorrow. He had no idea how the ceremonies went in the palace. Would he have to kiss her?

Suddenly, he was thankful for the kiss he and Aomine had shared moments earlier. That had been his first, and he was glad he hadn't lost it to Shouko and gave it to him instead.

No. He couldn't think about this right now. What Kise needed to do was forget everything that had just happened. Or how would he be able to live through a life married to Shouko? Before, he had no one to compare her to and perhaps could convince himself to like her. But now there was Aomine. Where she should be in his mind would be filled with thoughts of him, wondering what he was doing, wishing he would visit...How could she ever measure up to him? She couldn't replace him. There was no way.

 _No! Stop thinking about him!_

He shook his head, scolding himself silently.

Quickly wiping away the rest of his tears, the blond swung open the doors of his room and stepped outside, wanting some fresh air. He honestly had no idea when he was going to be brought to the palace and decided he should properly spend the time he had left.

He headed to the garden, somewhere he hadn't been in a while. Back when he was a kid, he always came running here when he was sad or frustrated with something, the flowers and fruit trees giving off a comforting atmosphere for him to calm down in.

It really hadn't changed at all over the years. The flowers were blooming as well as ever and that same sweet scent from before was in the air.

Kise made his way to the couple of rocks off to the side, breathing in the fresh air as he sat down. Time had went by so quickly, now that he thought about it. It seemed like just yesterday that he had met Aomine in the woods. Why were they being separated so soon?

The blond looked around, taking in the scene before him one last time. Would the gardens in the palace be this beautiful? Would they give off the same comforting atmosphere this one did?

"Ryouta?"

He spun around at the sound of his brother's voice. Was it already time?

"They're here," he said quietly. The dark haired man held a bleak look in his eyes as he looked up. "Are you ready to go?"

Kise took a deep breath and nodded, trying to clear his mind of all his worries and trying to think positive. Maybe it wouldn't be as bad as he thought. Maybe Shouko was a kind person he could get along with.

"Yeah I'm fine. Let's head to the main house so I can see everyone before I leave." He forced a smile, standing up and heading towards the said place. His brother followed in silence. Both of them seemed to be preparing for their facades of excitement.

Kise saw the familiar faces of the guards that had stopped by earlier the minute he opened the door, and they all bowed once they saw him. Their actions felt so unfamiliar to him, and he quickly reminded them that he wasn't officially married yet and that they should treat him like a normal person.

They soon began loading his things into a wagon they had brought along while Kise said his farewells. He went to Moriyama and Kobori, who had been assigned as his bodyguards since he was very young, first. There honestly wasn't anything they had needed to protect him against, so he simply saw them as good friends. These two hadn't been allowed to move to the palace with Kise's family, and were to be assigned to different people once they were gone. It honestly wasn't fair at all, he didn't understand why the emperor couldn't take any conditions from him when _he_ was the one being dragged into this.

But then again, he was the emperor. He didn't think he'd care about anyone's feelings other than his. And perhaps his daughter's.

"I'll miss you guys," he said, pulling each of them into a hug. "Visit often, okay? I'm sure you can come whenever you want."

Kobori chuckled and patted Kise's back.

"Sure, we will. But we'll let you spend some time with your wife first. I'm sure she'll be the only one on your mind once you get there," he said.

Kise forced a laugh, trying to act embarrassed and telling him to stop.

"I need some time to make an impression on the girls too," Moriyama added with a grin. "With you officially taken, I'll finally have a chance with them."

The blond actually laughed at that, doing the man a favour by telling him that one of the girls had been taking notice of him for a while. The man beamed at this and immediately asked for more details, but he only gave him a vague answer, along with the name of the girl.

Kise then went to his parents, who were smiling at him proudly. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat when he saw their expressions and forced a smile, hugging them.

"I'll see you guys at the wedding then," he said quietly. They nodded and told him to take care, to which he replied with another one of his fake smiles. He seemed to be getting used to it now.

"Come Ryouta, they're waiting," his brother reminded him, and the blond nodded, following his brother outside.

Once they were a safe distance away from both their parents and the guards, Kasamatsu spoke.

"Hey, are you actually okay with going?" he asked in concern. "We can always come up with some sort of excuse if you want...I'm sure it'll work out."

Kise shook his head.

"I'll be fine," he assured. "And the wedding's bound to happen. Might as well get along with Shouko a little before it." He shrugged. "Just as you said, maybe I'll like her."

His brother nodded, though his eyes still showed deep concern.

"Kise-san," a guard suddenly said from behind him, and he turned around to see Midorima. "Are you ready?"

He took one last look back at his house and then nodded.

"Yeah."

They took him to the chariot, his stuff already packed in the wagon behind it. He hugged his brother tightly before stepping into the vehicle, turning around to wave at him.

"Hey, where's Aomine-san?" Kasamatsu suddenly asked, furrowing his brows. It was definitely strange, as he knew the two were best friends since they were kids.

"Oh, Aominecchi?" Kise looked away and shrugged. "Don't know. He's been really busy lately."

"But wasn't he just here a while a—

"Well, I'll be heading off then, nii-san!" the blond exclaimed, smiling at him. The chariot began to move and he waved at his brother as he left, his smile disappearing and mood falling with each clop of the horses' hooves.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading guys and I'd love it if you reviewed! :)**


	4. Nara: IV

**Sorry for the late update! I've been busy with a whole bunch of work so...**

* * *

Kise's eyes scanned the room he had been led to, eyes widened in shock. It was huge, perhaps three times the size of his room at home. And it wasn't only the size that had him in awe. All the furniture was beautifully carved and was a quality he had never seen before. Various paintings decorated the walls, and vases were placed on several surfaces, enhancing the beauty of the space.

When he saw the bed, his first reaction was shock that he would have such a large bed to himself. And it then occurred to him that he would most certainly be _sharing_ this bed with his wife, something that caused his mood to plummet.

Kise looked around again, suddenly feeling very empty. He'd be living here every day now, as the husband of Shouko. He could bask in the privileges of royalty, get essentially anything that he wanted, and live a luxurious life, but he wouldn't be happy.

Just _what_ made him happy, he asked himself.

 _Aomine. I want to be with him._

The blond fisted his hands and bit his lip, reminding himself not to think of him. After kicking him out after that kiss, he didn't think he'd come looking for him anymore anyway. He'd be crazy if he did, actually, because by then, he'd be married. And to a _princess_ at that. A relationship between them was impossible.

Kise suddenly heard the door creak open, and he spun around to see the familiar long, dark hair of Shouko. She looked around the room and when she finally spotted him off to the side, she smiled.

"You're here!" she exclaimed. "I hope you like our room! They've been working on it ever since you last came to the palace."

He took a deep breath, forcing a smile.

"Yeah, I love it! Though it'll probably take me a while to get used to all this luxury." He chuckled.

 _Be nice. Try to get along with her. Try to like her._

"That's completely fine," she waved it off with a giggle and stepped closer to him, gently taking his hands in hers. "I can't wait for tomorrow," she beamed, fluttering her lashes at him.

He laughed nervously and agreed, squeezing her hands lightly. Shouko seemed to have no problem accepting the fact that Kise hadn't come here willingly. But then again, she probably thought he'd be honored and looking forward to marry such a beautiful girl like her.

And he didn't know why he wasn't, either. Any other guy would.

She giggled and then pulled away him.

"Would you like me to show you around?" she asked. "This place is huge so you might get lost the first couple of days."

Kise immediately nodded. Standing around here with someone he barely knew was definitely going to get awkward soon, so he needed something to do.

"Let's go then!" Shouko exclaimed, heading to the door. Kise followed close behind her, promising himself he would actually listen instead of getting lost in his own thoughts.

* * *

Shouko looked up at him in disappointment, a slight pout on her lips. They were at the door of their room, and Kise had just been informed that he needed to sleep in the guest room today, as they couldn't sleep together until they were married. Thank God for that.

"It's really unfair that you can't sleep here for the night," she whined, taking his hands in hers and intertwining their fingers.

It surprised Kise how naturally this came to the princess. She didn't treat him like someone she had just met, instead like a lover she had been with for years. He tried his best to treat her that way too, but everything he did was just too awkward. Maybe it was because the whole time he spent with her, he was thinking of Aomine and how nice it would've been if he had taken her place in this relationship.

He was thinking of him even now, as he stared into her gray eyes. Deep blue eyes, messy navy hair, and that rare tan skin tone that he loved about him. Kise recalled the kiss they shared earlier that day, how good and perfect it felt, and he suddenly craved for his lips.

 _Why hadn't we kissed for longer?_ he asked himself. _Why had I so hurriedly pushed him away?_

"Goodnight, Ryouta," Shouko said quietly, bringing Kise back to reality.

He stepped closer, bringing his arms around Shouko in a gentle hug. The blond didn't know why he did so, perhaps to remind himself not to think of Aomine, to let himself give in to the fact that this woman was to be his wife.

"Good night," he said, pulling away and giving her a gentle smile.

* * *

 _Kise's laughter rang throughout room, his voice mingling with the deep chuckles of the man beside him._

 _They were lying on his bed, back in his actual room. Kise lay on his side, his head propped up with his elbow as he watched Aomine beside him._

 _No words were exchanged between them. Just laughter._

 _The blond didn't know what had caused this reaction from both of them, but without a doubt he knew he was happy. It was a warm feeling spreading from his chest, chasing away the melancholy he had been engulfed in for several days now. His mind was clear and he swore he felt his skin glowing with the large smile on his face._

 _All of a sudden, Kise realized their laughter had ceased, and he found himself pinned to the mattress by the navy haired man on top of him._

" _A-Aominecchi…" he stammered. It was all he could get out before Aomine's lips silenced him._

 _This kiss was just like their first, perfect in every way possible. The blond loved the way Aomine's lips moved against his, the low growl coming from the back of his throat as he ravished his lips, and his soft locks of hair tickling his face._

 _Everything felt so real, so,_ so _real._

 _Kise tangled his fingers in the man's messy hair, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss._

 _This was what he wanted—to be with Aomine. Nothing more. And it was happening. Finally—_

"Kise-sama! It's time to wake up! We need to get you ready for your wedding!" a male voice called, causing the blond to jerk awake.

He sat up, rubbing his bleary eyes and scanning the room. It took him a while to actually process where he was and how he got here, and when everything sank in, he could only let out a defeated sigh.

His wedding was today. The ceremony that would make his status shoot up to royalty, the ceremony that would bind him to Shouko forever.

The ceremony that would crush all his hopes for a relationship with Aomine.

Wisps of Kise's dream came back to him as he thought of the man—the laughter, the happiness, the kiss—and he buried his face in his hands, groaning in frustration. So the guy was appearing in his dreams now too, huh?

"Kise-sama? Are you up?" the same voice from earlier called again, knocking on the door.

The blond yawned, stretching as he stood up.

"Yeah, you can come in."

The door creaked open and three young men stepped inside, lining up in front of the man and bowing.

"Good morning Kise-sama," they said simultaneously.

Kise quickly told them to raise their heads and not to be so polite next time, as he was not used to all this at all. He didn't want this status, he didn't want servants bowing to him. The blond had already been uncomfortable with Kobori addressing him as 'Kise-sama' for the first couple of months they met, he knew he couldn't handle this.

"Please. Just address me as a normal person next time," he repeated with a small smile.

They looked at each other in uncertainty and nodded, though Kise didn't know if they actually planned to listen to him.

"We need to get you ready for your wedding today," one of them said, holding up the folded clothing they had in their hands.

"It's in two hours, so if you could please allow us to help you change…" another added.

Holding back a sigh, the blond nodded. He honestly had no idea how wedding ceremonies went, he hadn't attended any before. As he thought of what would happen this afternoon, he felt anxiety build up in his chest. His palms were starting to sweat already.

"Do you think one of you could explain the procedure of the ceremony as you get me ready?" he asked as one was unbuttoning his shirt.

They had gone to taking off his sleepwear right away, and he couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable at the unnecessary help. He could dress himself.

"Of course, Kise-sama," one of them said as they got the first layer of his kimono ready. He decided to ignore the fact that they were keeping that honorific suffix at the end of his name, knowing they weren't possibly going to stop using it.

So as they helped him get in his black kimono and sat him in front of the mirror to fix him up with some make-up, they explained what would happen, from the purification, to the sake drinking, to the words of commitment. They hadn't said anything about a kiss, and Kise didn't know if it was just so obvious that it didn't need to be mentioned, or there actually wasn't going to be one. He hoped it was the latter.

The blond stood in front of the mirror and examined himself. The servants had done a good job and he couldn't deny the fact that he looked nice. He didn't usually wear kimonos though, as they were only for special occasions at his status level, so it was a bit uncomfortable.

He smiled at the three men.

"Thank you," he said, holding back from bowing to them. They surely would be shocked if a soon to be prince was to bow to his servants. At least he understood that.

"Oh, don't thank us, Kise-sama," one immediately said. "It's our job."

He opened his mouth to say something but another one of his servants spoke up.

"We need to get you to the shrine now. It's not in this area of the palace so it may take a while. We should get going."

Kise nodded, slowly standing up from his seat and heading to the door. He took a deep breath. The blond's parents would be there, as well Shouko's family, so he needed to make this look convincing. Like he loved her, like he had been waiting for this moment for a long time. He just needed to clear his head and let everything go by in a flash.

"Let's go," he said after taking a deep breath.

The blond followed his servants to the shrine, noticing the many glances he got from several of the concubines and female workers on his way there. He nodded and smiled in greeting to a couple of them, hearing their giggles in response, but quickly stopped once receiving a glare from a prince who stepped up protectively. Kise gulped, realizing it wasn't a good idea to make any contact with the concubines. He surely didn't want the men in this palace to hate him.

Briefly bowing in apology, he kept his gaze straight ahead the rest of the way.

Once at the shrine, Kise was greeted by Shouko, who was dressed in a flowing white kimono. He would be lying if he said he looked at her for more than five seconds. The blond couldn't deny that she was beautiful today, but his attention was immediately turned to wondering who was in the shrine. Would Aomine be here? Did he _want_ Aomine to be here?

"Ryouta, it's time," Shouko whispered excitedly, nudging his arm. "Let's go inside."

Kise took a deep breath, straightening his posture and holding his arm up at a right angle to escort her. She immediately held on to him and the two of them walked inside.

The minute the blond stepped into the shrine, he glanced to the side where his family and friends would be, catching a glimpse of familiar navy blue hair and tan skin. The man's eyes were directed downwards, his gaze blank. It hurt to see him like this. Kise wanted to break away from Shouko and run to Aomine right then. He wanted to hug him, to cry and apologize.

Kise felt his eyes tear up, but quickly blinked them away and turned to his family in hope to distract himself. Other than his brother, who looked sympathetic, they were beaming. He tried to ignore the guilt he was feeling right then and smiled at his parents.

When he and Shouko reached the front, they both got down on their knees as a priest performed a purification and blessing ritual on them. The slow rhythm of his swaying wand did nothing to calm Kise down. The blond had his hands fisted in his lap, a million thoughts running through his head.

Maybe he could get up right then and leave? Take Aomine with him so they could run off to someplace far away? But how could he possibly do that after seeing how proud his parents were, how happy they were?

Kise closed his eyes. Why had he been so stupid? This was all his fault.

He was torn away from his thoughts when Shouko nudged him, and the blond looked down to see three filled sake cups on the table in front of him. So they had already moved on to the sake ceremony.

Kise hesitantly reached out for one of the cups, bringing it to his lips ever so slowly. He was giving himself time to back out of this, as if backing out was even an option right now.

It was during this time that the blond dared to turn his head in search for Aomine. And it was then that he realized the man had left. He had turned just in time to see the curtain at the door flutter close.

Kise's heart sank. He hadn't wanted Aomine to watch this ceremony, but the man leaving seemed to make him even more distracted. Why did he leave? Was he really never going to see him again? Was he not even giving Kise a chance to say goodbye?

This time, the tears threatening to spill in the blond's eyes were noticed by his bride, and she looked at him in both confusion and worry.

"Are you okay?" she whispered, but everyone heard her in the silence and turned to look at him.

He quickly blinked his tears away, forcing a smile at the princess.

"I'm just...so happy," he lied, hoping it would be believable.

Shouko's overjoyed smile told him it was.

* * *

Kise hesitantly sat down on the bed, glancing over at the girl already snuggled in the covers. She was watching him with large eyes of anticipation, waiting for him to climb in beside her.

Eventually, the blond managed to lie down on the bed, all the way at the edge of it actually, and he sunk into the mattress, trying to relax. Shouko did not help at all by scooching closer and cuddling into his side, Kise's body stiffening at the contact. He hoped she hadn't noticed.

"Nee, Ryouta, I'm not really tired right now…" Shouko mumbled, moving even closer to the tense man. She looked up at him with a hopeful gaze, and he chose to ignore it. He didn't want to know what she wanted. To be honest, he was exhausted from the ceremony today. He didn't think weddings at the palace would be so complicated.

"Sorry Shouko," he said, turning to look at her in false apology. "I'm really tired from everything that happened today, so do you mind if I sleep?"

A look of disappointment flashed across the princess's face. She didn't answer him but didn't say any more, instead snuggling into his chest.

A slight frown had been present in Shouko's expression for a while now, but she soon took one of his arms, which had just been resting at his side, and brought it around her shoulder. The blond understood this and pulled her closer to him, a faint scent of flowers wafting up to his nose. He assumed the princess had put on some sort of perfume.

Kise closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He was glad he was exhausted today, actually, or he'd have no idea how he could manage to fall asleep in a situation like this.

Very soon, much sooner than he expected, his consciousness slowly faded away.

He must've been half asleep when this happened, as he was sure Shouko had kissed him on the cheek and said goodnight, but what he saw was Aomine's face beside him.

"Good night Ryouta." There came that deep, soothing voice coming from those lips.

Kise smiled.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading guys! I'd love it if you reviewed! :)**


	5. Nara: V

**Sorry for the long wait! I was really busy. ^^ Anyway, enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

A week had already passed in the palace and Kise hadn't seen Aomine since his wedding ceremony. In person that is.

It was embarrassing when he recalled the number of times the man had appeared in his dreams, smiling that usual smile and teasing him like the old times. Only some dreams were like that though. Others were more intimate, scenes that made Kise's cheeks burn at the thought. He'd jerk awake in the middle of those, praying that he hadn't been sleep talking and sighing in relief when seeing Shouko sleeping soundly beside him.

But it wasn't like he had trouble sleeping due to these. It wasn't like he didn't like these dreams.

And that's what he hated the most.

One part of him wanted them, yet another part absolutely loathed them. And they just kept coming, every night, haunting him.

It was happening so much that he was starting to give in. More than once, he had went to sleep like reality was a nightmare and that he could finally escape. Maybe that was the way to put up with this marriage. To yearn for the one place where the impossible could happen.

Kise shook his head, getting up from his seat on his bed and heading to the door. He couldn't think like that. He didn't want to live like that.

The afternoon sun was shining beams of light through the windows and he could see the clear blue sky up above. It was a nice day out and he finally had time to himself, as Shouko was going to be with her sisters for the afternoon.

He stepped outside, feeling the warm sunlight envelop him immediately. The faint chirps of birds filled the courtyard as he stood in the center in silence, looking up at the clouds.

"Kise-sama?" a familiar voice called out, and the blond turned to see Ishida, one of Shouko's servants, walk through the gates. "Good afternoon." He bowed, and Kise couldn't help but give a slight bow back.

"You looked a little dazed, so I came to check on you. I didn't disturb you, did I?" he asked, perhaps seeing the troubled look on the prince's face.

Kise immediately shook his head.

"No. I'm actually glad you're here. I'd like someone to talk to," he said with a sigh. "I don't know a lot of people in the palace yet."

The blond ran a hand through his hair and smiled. He knew he couldn't possibly tell anyone here about his true feelings about this marriage, but perhaps they could just talk. Talk about useless things to pass time.

"Do you miss your friends back at your clan?" he suddenly asked, and Kise raised his head.

Yes. Yes, he missed them. There was this one man he missed so, so much. He'd do anything to see him again. That was what he wanted to say, but of course, there was no way those words would leave his mouth. So he simply nodded.

"They'll visit soon, I'm sure," Ishida said with a smile, and Kise smiled back, hoping his words were true.

"I'm sorry Kise-sama, but I'm afraid I must take my leave now," he said with a bow. "I wish I could stay longer, but Shouko-sama has asked me to bring something to her, and she doesn't like to wait."

The blond nodded in understanding and told him not to worry about him. When the servant left, he sat down on a stone bench, playing with the sakura petals that rested on its surface. He gently picked up one of the light pink petals, examining it.

Kise remembered when Aomine had first been over at his house. They had went to his garden, where they played for the rest of the afternoon. The cherry blossoms had been blooming that day, he remembered it so clearly—Aomine had gathered a bunch of petals and dumped it on Kise's head.

He smiled to himself before dropping the petal, watching it twist and turn in the air as it slowly made it's way to the ground with others of its kind.

Perhaps he should go for a walk in the palace, he told himself. Maybe meet some of Shouko's brothers or any others that lived here. Sitting here alone wouldn't do any good for the melancholy state he had been in for so long now.

The blond was so absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed the footsteps coming towards him. In fact, it was only when the stranger spoke up that he noticed a presence behind him.

"Kise."

The said man squeaked and jumped up in surprise, almost losing his balance. Luckily, a hand shot out to keep him steady, and even before he saw that rare skin tone of the hand, he knew who it was. Why hadn't he noticed the way his name was called? Or just that familiar presence he gave off? It could only be one person.

"A-Aominecchi?" he exclaimed, spinning around to see the man that had taken up his thoughts for far too long. Kise's mouth hung open wide and he suddenly felt embarrassment wash over him, his cheeks flushing pink. "S-Stop sneaking up on me like this all the time!"

"Then stop not noticing me," he retorted. The navy haired man chuckled softly, releasing his arm and then looking around. "You've got an amazing place now, you know?" He grinned. "It's huge!"

As much as Kise was happy about the sudden visit and seeing his best friend's face in so long, he couldn't help but feel a little angry at the way Aomine was acting; he wasn't allowed to just suddenly act like nothing had happened. Not after he did this to him. Not after he kissed him so deeply the day he left. Not after he finally made the blond realize his true feelings for him. And definitely not after he made Kise completely give up on Shouko and yearn for a relationship with him instead.

That was just cruel.

Kise took a deep breath, trying to stop himself from exploding with anger right then. He had so much he wanted to say, so much to blame the guy for, but he didn't want to cause a scene. He didn't want this to result in them yelling at each other.

So he stayed calm. He stayed calm and said one word.

"Aominecchi…" he said quietly, staring straight into the man's eyes. His gaze held all his emotions right then; all the anger, the pain, the regret, and the confusion. And he knew, after so many years of being together, that his best friend would be able to read his expression without the need of any words.

Sure enough, Aomine gave a sigh of frustration. The blond watched him intently as he did so, worried of what words might come out of his mouth.

"I'm sorry," he finally said. "For everything. Leaving in the middle of the wedding, not seeing you off, kissing you…" His sentence seemed to fade with each word and the last ones were barely audible, but Kise heard.

And upon hearing those last two words, an immediate "No!" escaped the blond's lips before he could hold them back. Aomine's expression held the same amount of surprise Kise's did.

"What?" he asked in confusion.

Kise gulped, looking down at his feet as he spoke. A sudden shyness rose within him and he wasn't sure he could look the man in the eye.

"Don't apologize," he said quietly, his voice cracking.

"Kise, don't force yourself to say that," the man said gently. "I shouldn't have done any of those things, and we both know that. You're married to the princess, you're a prince now. I should be congratulating you."

 _No. You can't look at me and say those words with such a painful gaze like that. Stop._

"You of all people should know my feelings about this marriage, Aomine…" Kise finally looked up and held the man's gaze, his chest tightening as he spoke. "You know I never wanted this to happen…"

Aomine shook his head.

"Your parents told me, Kise. They told me how happy you were about it. I know already."

His parents?

Kise fisted his hands in frustration upon realizing what was going on. Why was Aomine so stupid? Why would he believe his parents and not ask him about it?

"I lied to my parents, Aomine!" he cried. "How would I ever be able to tell them the truth about what happened that day? They'll blame it on you! And they won't allow me to see you anymore! Don't you understand that?"

It had occurred to Kise that any servants passing by may overhear their conversation, but he really didn't care at that moment. He needed to set things straight with this guy.

"So don't apologize," he continued in a softer voice, his vision blurring as tears formed in his eyes. He tried to blink them away, stepping closer to Aomine. "Especially for that…" He paused. "K-Kiss…"

"Kise?" He stepped closer as well, as if he needed a closer look at his expression to know what he was thinking. Kise's flushed cheeks made his feelings very obvious, but the man didn't seem to get it.

"D-Don't tell me you didn't notice how I responded to the kiss," he said in disbelief, his face heating even more as he spoke.

Their gazes locked and Kise could only stare back into his deep blue orbs, trying to find something in their depths to tell him what exactly the man was feeling right now.

They stood in silence for quite a while, perhaps trying to figure out each other's feelings before they voiced their own. It was quite obvious, the way they looked at each other, but neither wanted to say it out loud. Maybe it was the tense atmosphere around them, as, despite her not being there at the moment, Shouko's presence seemed to fill the property. It reminded the two men of the unforgivable sin they'd be committing if they went through with this.

Maybe if they forgot about everything that happened and went back to being friends, everything would be okay.

 _No, it's too late,_ Kise told himself. _I tried doing that and it's too late. It won't work._

The sudden sound of footsteps broke the two men apart and they stepped away from each other immediately, looking away. The blond almost hoped that it was one of his servants coming to inform him of something, maybe the atmosphere would lighten up that way.

However, the footsteps ran past his gates and got further and further away, leaving the two men in silence once again. Kise spoke before the awkwardness present just moments earlier had a chance to come back.

"Do you want to come inside?" he asked. "Maybe for a cup of tea or something…?"

The navy haired man seemed to hesitate for a second before nodding, following his friend inside. They sat down at the table and Kise handed him a china cup, filling it carefully before doing the same to his own.

Aomine took a sip of his tea before finally speaking.

"I noticed," was all he said as he turned to lock their gazes once more. "But I couldn't believe it. How could I? My best friend who was lucky enough to get engaged with a princess was not only _not_ rejecting my advances, but seemed to hold the same feelings for me," he explained, the look in his eyes telling Kise he was still doubting the fact. "How am I supposed to believe that?"

The blond didn't answer his question, only asking another.

"Why did you kiss me then? When you knew I was going to get married soon, when you thought I was happy about it?"

Aomine sighed, raising the cup to his lips once more, perhaps to give him time to think of a reply. He ended up turning away and stared blankly in the direction of the door. Kise saw him open his mouth to speak, but he closed it before any words came out. This soon happened again, which made the blond even more curious of what the answer was like, before he spoke.

"I'm selfish," he said simply. "That was your first kiss, wasn't it?"

Kise slowly nodded, not quite sure what he was getting at.

"I wanted to take it before Shouko could at the wedding," Aomine finally admitted, his eyes landing everywhere in the room except the blond. His words caught him by surprise and Kise's eyes widened.

Hadn't he been thinking of something similar that very day after the kiss? About how grateful he was to the navy haired man for taking his first?

"Yeah, I know I'm a jerk, and I'm s—

"Stop!" he interrupted. "Stop apologizing! It's not like you at all!"

Kise stood up and looked down at the man, a look of disbelief in his eyes. What was he trying to do? Kissing him like that right before the wedding, avoiding him for a week, and just when he was trying his hardest to forget about him, coming back and saying he regretted his actions when he obviously wanted to say he loved him?

"What are your feelings towards me, Aomine?" he asked, staring straight into his eyes. The blond was almost sure he knew what they were, but he wouldn't believe it until it came out of his mouth.

The navy haired man stood. Kise's heart pounded, so loud he was sure the man in front of him could hear it, against his chest as he looked up at him. Aomine soon cupped his cheek, lips parting to speak.

"I love you, Kise."

The blond really wasn't sure which one of them had closed their distance. Or maybe it had been the both of them. But it seemed like one moment they were staring into each other's eyes, and in the next, Aomine had Kise pinned against the wall, lips pressed against his in a passionate kiss. It was even better than their first, and it seemed to take a weight off of the blond's chest, since he could finally give in to his desire for this man. They took their time, as if they _weren't_ at a risk of getting caught by someone in the palace, and savoured every touch—every movement of their lips, their hands, everything. The fact that this was a sin punishable by death was forgotten, or maybe they just didn't care. The two of them were lost in their own world right then.

Kise's hands soon found their way to Aomine's hair and he tangled his fingers in his soft locks, pulling him in closer. His heart was racing and he was running out of breath, but he didn't pull away. He didn't want this kiss to end. He wanted them to stay like this forever.

"A-Aomi—

He had tried to gasp out the man's name when the two of them pulled away for air, but he was silenced by his lips once more.

They kissed for what seemed like hours, and it was a miracle that neither Shouko nor a servant came looking for the prince. Maybe they really were in their own world.

The two soon broke apart, their heavy breathing filling the room. Kise couldn't help but let a small smile creep to his lips as he looked up at the man, soon resting his head on his chest and letting out a sigh. He felt Aomine's strong arms wrap around him in a warm embrace, and he did the same.

"Kise...you're married," he said blankly, and the blond only nodded. The reminder had no meaning anymore. They had already known of the consequences, the unforgivable sin, and yet went through with it anyway. It was too late. And Kise wasn't going to make any move to stop it. How could he, after experiencing all these breathtaking moments with this man? He didn't think he could leave him.

The navy haired man then started to laugh, and Kise felt his chest rumbling beneath him. He knew why he was laughing, the blond was on the verge of laughing himself.

"We're in some deep shit, Kise."

"I know," he mumbled into his chest. "But I don't care."

"That's good," Aomine said with a chuckle. "I don't think I'll be able to let you go."

Kise sighed when he felt his grip tighten on him, raising his head to look up at the man.

"Shouko will be back soon, though," he said quietly, biting his lip. "You can't stay."

He wanted him to stay. He wanted it so, so bad. But he didn't want the man in any more trouble because of him. If they were caught, he wouldn't know when he could see him again, and he didn't want that.

Aomine soon, reluctantly, pulled back, only to cup Kise's cheek again.

"There's nothing going on with Shouko lately, is there?" he asked in concern. "The emperor isn't demanding for any children yet?"

The blond bit his lip again. More than once, he had gotten a feeling that Shouko was trying to initiate something, but he had always managed to avoid it. He hoped he could continue doing so. Kissing was one thing he had managed to get through, but it was the furthest thing he was allowing.

"No, everything's fine right now," he ended up saying. "Shouko's actually pretty nice about everything."

There was silence on Aomine's end, and it took Kise a while to realize what was wrong.

"You don't need to worry about her, Aominecchi," he assured, going on his tippy-toes and giving the man a quick kiss. He smiled and hugged him once more before stepping back.

"I guess I should go now…" Disappointment was evident in Aomine's tone as he spoke, heading towards the door. He turned around to face Kise again when he got there. "I'll visit again soon, I promise."

"Aominecchi!" he called before the man stepped out the door, and he turned around again with a sigh, smiling.

"What is it?"

"I love you too." Kise smiled.

* * *

"So, what did you do today, Ryouta?" Shouko asked as their dinner was being served to the table.

Kise tried to make sure his cheeks didn't flush when he recalled everything that happened that afternoon and tried to formulate a convincing answer in his head. He thanked Ishida, after he brought in the last dish, before replying.

"Not much, actually," he began. "I took a pretty long nap, and then I went out for a walk and spoke to a couple of the servants."

The princess sighed.

"I'm sorry I couldn't stay with you today," she said. "My sisters were bugging me to teach them calligraphy." Shouko then smiled proudly. "And if I brought you along, I'm sure they wouldn't be able to concentrate at all."

Kise only chuckled at that as he began eating, despite not feeling particularly hungry at the moment. It was rude to the servants if he didn't finish the food, he felt.

"I learned a bit of calligraphy from my brother when I was a kid," he suddenly said, wanting the conversation to go on. He hated silence, especially when he was with Shouko, as it just made everything even more awkward. "But I've probably already forgotten everything."

She nodded as she ate, taking everything in careful, small bites. Kise assumed all the princesses needed to do this to maintain their image. He couldn't care less, though.

There was a while of silence before Shouko spoke, and her words had the blond freezing in shock.

"I spoke to father today, and he brought up the subject of children."

So soon? They hadn't even been married for two weeks yet and he was already asking for kids?

Kise gulped.

"Wh-What about them…?" he asked cautiously.

The princess smiled at him.

"How many do you want?"

The blond's chopsticks had been frozen in mid-air when she asked this question, and he quickly continued with his action before replying, as not to cause any suspicion.

"I...haven't really thought about that yet, Shouko," he said apologetically. "But don't you think it's a bit too early to talk about this? I don't think we should rush our relationship."

The princess frowned at this.

"How slowly do you want to take this? We barely even kiss!" she exclaimed, setting her utensils down on the table quite angrily. "Are you even interested in me?"

Kise paused a bit before replying, which was probably a mistake. But at that moment, he honestly wasn't sure what to say. He didn't want to lead her on too much but knew she would get angry if he said he had no interest in her at all. But what was she expecting from a marriage she had forced him into?

"So you're not," she said simply.

"No," he immediately said and Shouko's expression seemed to brighten up. It made Kise hesitate on saying his next words, but he chose to say them anyway. He assumed they had to be said at some point. "Look," he said gently. "I don't know how I feel about our relationship. We just met about two weeks ago, so I don't think you should be expecting me to develop feelings for you so quickly," Kise explained. "And I'm not quite sure I will, even if you give me more time…"

"So you're not interested in me?" There was a strange hint of anger mixed in with the disappointment in her tone, and he had a bad feeling about her reaction if he didn't answer this question correctly.

He tried to put his words as politely and nicely as possible.

"Maybe not in the way you want me to be." Kise added in an apology at the end there as well, feeling that it was necessary.

Shouko then suddenly began laughing, which surprised the blond. It seemed to be a laugh of disbelief.

"I lied to my father for you, do you realize that?" she asked.

"Yes, I do. And I'm very gratefu—

"So I can go tell him the truth whenever I want, and you and your friend will most likely be executed as your punishment."

Was she threatening him?

"Look, Shouko, it really was an acciden—

"You don't want you _or_ your friend to get hurt, right?" she asked, a smirk on her lips now. Shouko seemed like a completely different person from before. Where did that kind girl go?

Kise shook his head.

"I'm sure you know what to do then."

The blond took a deep breath, trying to find a response to her words. He was worried he had misinterpreted her words. Was this girl really threatening to expose them if Kise didn't follow her orders?

"How do you expect me to love you when I hold no such feelings?" he ended up asking, a troubled look on his face. He bit his lip.

"Fake it if you must," she answered simply, and Kise's eyes widened. She was crazy. How could someone live like that? "But fake it well."

Shouko moved closer, cupping his cheek and leaning in so their faces were only inches apart. It was completely different from when Aomine had done the same thing that afternoon. The princess was staring at him with an amused yet hard gaze, a smirk on her face.

Kise stared back into her now cold, grey eyes in horror. He could only give a curt nod, unable to break their eye contact. Then, she leaned in for a kiss, this one much more passionate than the other they had shared.

But it felt wrong. This couldn't even compare to his kisses with Aomine. The blond was even having a hard time kissing back, feeling a sort of betrayal to the navy haired man, despite this woman being his wife.

He ended up pulling away first and looked away, trying to catch his breath. There was a tightness in his chest he couldn't get rid of. He had believed that Shouko was a kind girl, someone understanding. He had fell for that facade.

How could he be so stupid? If he had known, perhaps he wouldn't have brought such a risky topic up.

Kise glanced at the princess, seeing that she was back to eating their dinner as if nothing had happened. He did the same, and they ate the rest of their meal in silence.

* * *

 **Hope you guys liked it and I'd love it if you reviewed! :)**


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